Abstract: A video image processing system is described that generates the interpolated video images with sharp and jaggedness-free edges. A method of video image processing is also described that interpolates video images to generate the video images with sharp and jaggedness-free edges. The video image processing system receives and makes input image data available for further processing; analyzes the local features of the input image data; filters the input image data before performing interpolation process; modifies the phase value adaptive to the local edge distance; rescales the input image data in horizontal interpolation using the modified phase value; and rescales the horizontally interpolated image data in vertical interpolation using modified phase value.

Abstract: A display apparatus having a display. The display apparatus includes a video signal processor having a processor to process an input video signal and a picture quality improving part to improve picture quality of the processed video signal. The video signal processor processes the video signal through a path that includes a signal processing path to selectively bypass the picture quality improving part. The display apparatus further includes a selection input part through which the user selects a bypass mode corresponding to the signal processing path. Finally, the display apparatus has a controller controlling the video signal processor to output the video signal processed through the processor to the display after bypassing the picture quality improving part when the user selects the bypass mode through the selection input part. Thus, the picture quality improving function may be omitted to thereby reduce signal processing time.

Abstract: A video scaling process system, wherein the high frequency components of the input video sequence are compensated for, prior to video scaling. The video scaling system includes a pre-compensator for compensation of the high frequency components of the input video sequence, and a video scaler. The pre-compensator includes a high frequency component extractor, a noise detector and a shoot suppressor. The high frequency component extractor extracts the high frequency compensation component from an input video sequence. The noise detector adjusts the gain of the compensation to avoid the enhancement of the noise component. The shoot suppressor further adjusts the gain of the compensation to avoid shoot artifacts. The adjusted high frequency compensated video is added back to the input video. The pre-compensated video sequence is then passed through a video scaler to obtain the scaled video. As such, the sharpness of the scaled video is maintained or even enhanced.

Abstract: An image enhancement unit and method for enhancing the image quality of a video stream is presented. The image enhancement unit combines a contour enhancement unit, a luminance contrast stretching unit, a color transient improvement unit, and a color saturation control unit to enhance both the luminance and chrominance values in the video stream. Specifically, the contour enhancement unit processes the luminance values to improve the contours of the images in the video steam. The luminance contrast stretching unit further improves the luminance by enhancing the contrast in the images. The color transient improvement unit processes the chrominance values to remove blurring around along the edges of color transitions and the color saturation control unit increases the color saturation to improve the appearance of the images.

Abstract: In each of stages of a nonlinear filter, a successively determined target signal and plural adjacent signals are weighted-averaged with plural sets of different coefficients to calculate plural smoothed signals. Differences in level between the target signal and each of adjacent signals and signals arranged within the predetermined interval from the each of the adjacent signals are compared with a threshold value. According to the comparison, flags are set to the adjacent signal, to an adjacent signal arranged at a symmetrical position, and to adjacent signals arranged beyond the adjacent signals. The intervals of adjacent signals are different among stages. The target signal in level is used instead of the adjacent signals with smoothed signals, which are selected according to the flags. Weighting coefficients may be calculated on the basis of the comparison result, and smoothed signals may be synthesized according to the weighting coefficients.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of filtering a digital image signal. The apparatus includes: a noise reduction filter which selectively outputs one of results obtained by temporally and spatially filtering pixel values of pixels of each of frames of an image as a temporal or spatial filtering value in response to magnitudes of the results of temporal and spatial filtering; and a sharpness enhancement filter which highlights and outputs a high pass component of the temporal or spatial filtering value.

Abstract: A color transient improvement unit and method for improving color transients to remove blurring along the edges of color transitions is presented. A transient characterization unit calculates various transient characterization values for a color transient detection window surrounding a current pixel. A transient threshold unit analyzes the transient characterization values to determine whether the color transient detection window contains a color transition. If a color transition exists, a transient correction unit generates an improved U chrominance value and an improved V chrominance value for the current pixel.

Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for detecting scene transitions in a digital video sequence. An encoding device may, for example, analyze a distribution of pixel values over a plurality of frames to detect locations at which the scene transitions occur. In particular, the encoding device analyzes the distribution of pixel locations having values in a mid-range of possible pixel values to identify locations in the plurality of frames that experience a significant short-term increase in the number of pixel locations having mid-range pixel values. A significant short-term increase in the number of pixel locations with pixel values in the mid-range of possible pixel values is indicative of a soft transition. In this manner, occurrences of gradual scene transitions are detected by identifying locations within the plurality of frames that have significant short-term increases in the number of pixel locations having mid-range pixel values.

Abstract: A noise reduction system that not only preserves details in images but also provides essentially clean, smooth, and natural looking homogeneous regions in images. The noise reduction system utilizes a dual-channel adaptive noise reduction technique. The input signal is first split into two channels (i.e., a low-pass channel and a high-pass channel), by a channel splitting filter. Then the two channel signals are processed separately. The low-pass channel signal is processed using an adaptive directional filter based on the estimation of the local 2D and 1D statistics and the detection of the local image structure direction. The high-pass channel signal is processed by a non-linear filtering method based on the estimation of the local statistics and the noise level of the high-pass channel signal, which is derived from the noise level of the original input signal. The processed signals from the two channels are summed together to get the final output.

Abstract: A field delay circuit aligns the phases of two field signals. An average value calculation circuit generates an average value signal of the two field signals. This average value signal can be regarded as a signal that has undergone a one-dimensional low-pass filter process in the row direction in which the number of taps for a progressive signal is 2 and the filter coefficient for each tap is 0.5 and that has then been thinned to one-half the data. A two-dimensional LPF circuit subjects this average value signal to a low-pass filter process and eliminates the high-frequency components (edge components). A subtraction circuit subtracts the average value signal that has undergone the LPF process from each field signal and thus extracts the edge components of each field signal. An amplification circuit multiplies the edge components of each field signal by a prescribed factor. An addition circuit adds the resulting amplified edge components to each field signal.

Abstract: A technique for determining the slope of a field pixel is described. According to the technique, one or more sets of diagonal field pixels are downscaled (or downsampled) before they are provided to respective edge detector circuits. By downscaling the sets of diagonal field pixels before they are provided to respective detector circuits, the edge detector circuits detect diagonal edges and, in particular, shallow diagonal edges with greater accuracy. As such, the slopes assigned to the field pixels are more likely to be correct. This ultimately results in a high quality progressive video signal that can be used to generate an image that is completely or substantially free from objectionable artifacts.

Abstract: A media processing system for limiting ringing in a filter output. A detection filter receives a media signal and generates a detection signal. The detection signal has a constant value over sections of the media signal having a consistent DC bias. The value of the detection signal changes when the DC bias of the media signal changes. The control module receives the detection signal and determines if the media signal may result in ringing based on the detection signal. If it is determined the media signal may result in ringing, a smoothing filter is applied to the media signal.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for determining a horizontal resolution and a phase of an analog video signal arranged to display a number of scan lines each formed of a number of pixels is described. A number of initialization values are set where at least one of the initialization values is a current horizontal resolution and then a difference value for each immediately adjacent ones of the pixels is determined. Next, an edge flag value based upon the difference value is stored in at least one of a number of accumulators such that when at least one of the accumulators has a stored edge flag value that is substantially greater than those stored edge flag values in the other accumulators, then the horizontal resolution is set to the current resolution.

Abstract: An average value signal of the G two-phase input signal is generated by means of an average value calculation circuit. This average value signal is regarded as a signal in which a one-dimensional low-pass filter process, in which the number of taps is 2 and the filter coefficient for each tap is 0.5, has been carried out for a single-phase signal and the number of items of data then thinned to one half. A two-dimensional LPF circuit next subjects this average value signal to a low-pass filter process to eliminate the high-frequency component (edge component). The average value signal that has undergone the low-pass filter process is then subtracted from the input signal of each phase to extract the edge component of the input signal of each phase. An amplification circuit then multiplies the edge component of the input signal of each phase by a prescribed factor, and an addition circuit next adds this multiplied edge component to the input signal of each phase.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and a device for image sharpness adjustment. The device comprises a color analyzer, a color sharpness setting unit, a computing circuit, and a luminance adjusting unit. The color analyzer is for analyzing an input color signal to generate a plurality of color flags. The color sharpness setting unit is for generating a plurality of first sharpness gains according to the plurality of the color flags. The computing circuit is for generating a second sharpness gain according to the plurality of the first sharpness gains and the input color signal. The luminance adjusting unit is for adjusting a luminance signal according to the second sharpness gain.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an image pickup section for converting an object light into image signals of Bayer RGB array; a color information detecting section for obtaining color information of the object from the image signals obtained by the image pickup section; a first luminance data generating section for finding luminance data for use in edge enhancement processing based on G signals of the image signals obtained by the image pickup section; a second luminance data generating section for finding luminance data for use in edge enhancement processing based on all color signals of the image signals; a selector for providing an output by switching between outputs of the first and second luminance data generating section; and a selection signal generating section for generating selection signal for controlling the switching of the selector based on color information obtained at the color information detecting section.

Abstract: An edge compensated feature detector includes a local difference unit receiving an incoming video signal and calculating a local difference value according to a component difference in a local area of a video frame formed by the incoming video signal; an adjustment unit coupled to the local difference unit for mapping the local difference value onto an edge gain value; a feature extraction unit for extracting a particular feature of the incoming video signal; and a multiplier coupled to the adjustment unit and the feature extraction unit for multiplying feature data corresponding to the output of the feature extraction unit with the edge gain value to thereby generate an edge compensated feature component.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an image pickup section for converting an object light into image signals of Bayer RGB array; a color information detecting section for obtaining color information of the object from the image signals obtained by the image pickup section; a first luminance data generating section for finding luminance data for use in edge enhancement processing based on G signals of the image signals obtained by the image pickup section; a second luminance data generating section for finding luminance data for use in edge enhancement processing based on all color signals of the image signals; a selector for providing an output by switching between outputs of the first and second luminance data generating section; and a selection signal generating section for generating selection signal for controlling the switching of the selector based on color information obtained at the color information detecting section.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an image pickup section for converting an object light into image signals of Bayer RGB array; a color information detecting section for obtaining color information of the object from the image signals obtained by the image pickup section; a first luminance data generating section for finding luminance data for use in edge enhancement processing based on G signals of the image signals obtained by the image pickup section; a second luminance data generating section for finding luminance data for use in edge enhancement processing based on all color signals of the image signals; a selector for providing an output by switching between outputs of the first and second luminance data generating section; and a selection signal generating section for generating selection signal for controlling the switching of the selector based on color information obtained at the color information detecting section.

Abstract: A upscaling (upsampling) technique for digital images and video for presentation on a display.

Abstract: An image display apparatus is provided for receiving a digital image signal and displaying it so that high-quality images can be displayed with the noise reduced not to be conspicuous and with the contour appropriately corrected. The image display apparatus includes an input unit to which the digital image signal is applied, an information detection/separation circuit which detects and separates frame encoding information and bit rate information from the digital image signal, a picture quality correcting unit which makes contour correction/noise reduction process on the digital image signal, and a control circuit. The control circuit controls the picture-quality correcting unit to make the above process by using the frame encoding information and bit rate information from the information detection/separation circuit.

Abstract: The invention provides an image data processing apparatus including a memory for storing plural values indicating plural brightnesses when a predetermined display element is driven based on discrete plural drive values, and an operation circuit for converting a first conversion value converted from input image data, based on a value read out from the memory thereby generating the drive value, wherein the operation circuit executes an operation for evaluating a difference between the first conversion value and the value indicating brightness, and an operation for obtaining the drive value according to a result of the evaluation.

Abstract: A video decoder comprising (i) a post-processing filter block, (ii) a comfort noise addition block and (iii) a video value/range adjustment block, where the comfort noise addition block is integrated into a video output path of the video decoder. The post-processing filter block may be configured to perform one or more of noise reduction, spatial filtering and temporal filtering on luminance data. The comfort noise addition block may be configured to add comfort noise to the luminance data. The video value/range adjustment block may be configured to adjust one or both of a value and a range of the luminance data.

Abstract: An apparatus to improve an image sharpness and a method thereof which can improve the image sharpness of an image through an adaptive operation of the apparatus according to resolutions of input/output video signals and an emphasis of edge portions of the image.

Abstract: The structure of an image-signal processing apparatus for performing gamma correction and edge enhancement of a image signal is simplified. An edge-correction-gain generation circuit generates a gain signal according to the level of a image signal that has passed through an A-LPF on the basis of a preset transfer characteristic function. An edge-signal generation circuit generates an edge signal corresponding to the edge of the image according to the quadratic differential signal of the image signal. The edge signal is multiplied by the gain signal in a multiplying circuit. An edge-enhanced-signal generation circuit outputs it as an edge enhanced signal. The image signal is subjected to gamma correction by a gamma correction circuit in a different system from the edge-enhanced-signal generation circuit. A combining circuit combines the gamma-corrected image signal with the edge enhanced signal from the edge-enhanced-signal generation circuit.

Abstract: A method interpolating pixel values includes calculating a difference value between pixel values corresponding to a first display pixel on a first display line and a second display pixel on a second display line, the first and second display pixels defining a possible edge angle of an object on a display. Another difference value is calculated between pixel values corresponding to a third display pixel of the first display line and a fourth display pixel of the second display line, the third and fourth display pixels defining a second angle on the display.

Abstract: Techniques for performing combined scaling, filtering, and/or scan conversion are disclosed that reduce that amount of line buffer space required in the overall design of a video processing system. In particular, coefficients from all or a sub-set of the scaling, filtering (smoothing/sharpening), and scan conversion filters are combined into one representative coefficient that can be applied in a single generic algorithm. Thus, implementation costs are reduced, particularly in system-on-chip implementations.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method is disclosed. The method includes receiving video data performing pre-filtering on the data, performing content analysis is applied to identify an area of the data, applying a two-dimensional (2-D) 2nd gradient operation to extract a high frequency component and normalizing the high frequency component related to high frequency information from a previous picture.

Abstract: A method and device for interpolating a pixel of an interline of a first field in a sequence of interlaced fields includes selecting at least one first pixel and one second pixel from scan lines of the first field adjacent the interline, and a third pixel from a second field temporally preceding or following the first field. The image position of the third pixel corresponds to the image position of the pixel to be interpolated. Also selected are fourth and fifth pixels which lie vertically adjacent the third pixel in the second field. A first filter value is generated by low-pass filtering the at least one first and second image information values. A second filter value is generated by high-pass filtering the third, fourth and fifth image information values. An image information value of the interpolated pixel is generated using the first and second filter values.

Abstract: An amplitude discrimination circuit separates a received video signal into a signal component with a minute amplitude level and other signal component with a high amplitude level. A contour correction circuit performs contour correction processing on a signal with the high amplitude level and a nonlinear processing circuit performs nonlinear processing after adding the signal with high amplitude level to an output from a delay circuit which delays the received video signal by the time required for the contour correction processing performed by the contour correction circuit. A minute amplitude contour correction circuit performs contour correction processing on the signal with the minute amplitude level and an adder circuit adds the signal with the minute amplitude level to an output from the nonlinear processing circuit after delaying the signal with the minute amplitude level by the time required for the nonlinear processing performed by a delay circuit.

Abstract: In an image replication circuit, the improvement of replicating a given element at a certain location with the most similar of surrounding sets of image elements.

Abstract: A video signal processing apparatus includes a characteristic detection circuit for detecting luminance distribution corresponding to one frame of a video signal, a contrast compensation circuit for compensating contrast of the video signal, an edge compensation circuit for compensating an edge portion of the video signal, and a control circuit for determining a luminance range to be controlled on the basis of the luminance distribution detected by the characteristic detection circuit, and controlling the contrast compensation circuit and edge compensation circuit to conduct predetermined compensation on the video signal belonging to the luminance range. The control circuit controls the contrast compensation circuit to increase contrast for the video signal in the luminance range as compared with the video signal in other regions, and controls the edge compensation circuit to make an edge compensation quantity for the video signal in the luminance range smaller as compared with other regions.

Abstract: There is provided an edge detecting method, which is capable of preventing a noise influence caused by imaging device and a color interpolation. The edge detecting method includes the steps of: setting a first kernel based on a center pixel in pixel data arranged in a mosaic structure; setting a second kernel based on the center pixel within the first kernel; detecting whether a pixel having a green value in the second kernel is a defective pixel, and correcting the pixel; converting all pixels of the second kernel into pixels having green value; calculating a slope value by using a mask for detecting an edge in the second kernel; and detecting an edge by adding the slope value to a luminance value obtained by a color space conversion.

Abstract: A method for deinterlacing a picture is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a plurality of primary scores by searching along a plurality of primary angles for an edge in the picture proximate a location interlaced with a field of the picture, (B) generating a plurality of neighbor scores by searching for the edge along a plurality of neighbor angles proximate a particular angle of the primary angles corresponding to a particular score of the primary scores having a best value and (C) identifying a best score from a group of scores consisting of the particular score and the neighbor scores to generate an interpolated sample at the location.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a differential calculating unit which obtains a differential between a value of a pixel of interest and values of surrounding pixels contained in an image signal supplied from an image sensor, a dead-zone generating unit which defines a predetermined range of pixel values, and a comparison unit which checks whether the differential falls outside the predetermined range, wherein contour enhancement is applied to the pixel of interest in response to a determination by the comparison unit that the differential falls outside the predetermined range.

Abstract: A video signal improving circuit comprises an input section which receives a video signal; a delay circuit which delays the video signal to generate a plurality of delayed video signals which have delayed times different from one another; an improving signal producing circuit which generates, as an improving signal, an improving amount for performing a transient improvement on the video signal based upon an original video signal before delay and the plurality of delayed video signals; a band-limiting filter which performs a frequency band limitation on the improving signal; a timing correcting circuit which causes timings of any one of the plurality of delayed video signals and the improving signal which has passed through the band-limiting filter to match with each other; and an adder which adds the improving signal which has passed through the band-limiting filter to the delayed video signal which has passed through the timing correcting circuit.

Abstract: A method of detecting sky in a digital color image having pixels is disclosed. The method includes identifying pixels from the digital color image representing an initial sky region; developing a model based on the identified sky pixels, wherein such model is a mathematical function that has inputs of pixel position and outputs of color; and using the model to operate on the digital color image to classify additional pixels not included in the initial sky region as sky.

Abstract: A contour compensation circuit that generates a contour-compensated signal by which a signal level of a contour of the object is emphasized, from an image signal obtained by an image pickup of an object. This circuit includes a reverse gamma controller, a contour compensation signal generator, and a calculator. The reverse gamma controller determines a standard channel from among the channels constituting the image signal, and obtains a liner standard channel from the standard channel by the reverse control. The contour compensation signal generator generates a contour compensation signal from the liner standard channel. The control signal generator computes a comparative value from the liner standard channel and the contour compensation signal, and generates a control signal based on a comparison between the comparative value and a threshold value. The calculator computes the contour-compensated signal based on the contour compensation and control signals, and the liner standard channel.

Abstract: An image display device and an image display method, in which the display position of an image frame on a display screen changes in order to enhance the image quality, are provided. The image display device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a decoder that decodes an input image signal; and a frame display controller which alternately outputs the decoded input image signal and an image signal obtained by delaying the decoded input image signal by a predetermined number of lines of one frame. The display position of the image frame on the display screen may change so that the image quality of a low-resolution image or an image having excessive noise is enhanced.

Abstract: A contour emphasizing circuit which comprises a contour pick-up unit 10 for picking up a contour component HE from an input luminance signal Y, a level judging unit 15 for judging the luminance level of the input luminance signal Y, a coefficient control unit 17 for changing the coefficient in a plurality of steps depending upon a judgment signal and multiplying the contour component HE by the coefficient to output the product, and an adder 14 for adding the contour component outputted from the coefficient control unit 17 to the input luminance signal Y to output an emphasized-contour luminance signal. The coefficient to be multiplied by the contour component HE is changed in a plurality of steps depending upon the luminance level of the input luminance signal Y, and the contour component HE to be added to the input luminance signal Y is controlled to have a magnitude appropriate to the luminance level of the input luminance signal Y.

Abstract: Device and method for processing object edges in digit video image are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, an edge detection operation is performed as follows: 1) calculating pixel difference flags for a plurality of slanted modes when performing interpolation of two rows in an interlaced video image or field; 2) calculating a weighted score for each slanted direction mode direction in step 1 using a target pixel as a center point; and 3) selecting one of the slanted directions by determining whether the object edge crossed the target pixel using the weighted scores in each slanted direction for the target pixel and the object edge angel resulting in one of interpolation schemes.

Abstract: There is provided a signal processing apparatus comprises an edge amount detection portion for generating a data string of luminance differences of a pair of pixels adjacent to each other or adjacent over some pixels in predetermined number of frames of a luminance signal, detecting a maximum luminance difference from the data string and storing the same; and a correction amount conversion portion for converting the data string of the luminance difference to a contour correction amount based on the maximum luminance value: wherein a correction signal generation portion generates a contour correction signal while changing a gain in accordance with the contour correction amount and outputs the same to a contour correction portion; and the contour correction portion adds the contour correction signal to an image signal by synchronizing, corrects a contour of the image and output the same.

Abstract: In accordance with the teachings described herein, systems and methods are provided for enhancing the image quality of video. One or more filters may be used to filter a received video signal to generate a vertical filtered output, a horizontal filtered output and a diagonal filtered output. One or more amplification components may be used to apply separate gains to each of the vertical, horizontal and diagonal filtered outputs to generate a vertical enhancement signal, a horizontal enhancement signal and a diagonal enhancement signal. One or more summation components may be used to combine the vertical, horizontal and diagonal enhancement signals with the video signal to generate an enhanced video signal.

Abstract: An edge enhancement circuit uses bandpass filters to separate an original video signal into low-, middle- and high-frequency band edge components which will be supplied to waveform shaping circuits. Each of the waveform shaping circuits detects an amplitude peak level of the edge component, generates a gain coefficient based on the peak level, and multiplies the original video signal by the gain coefficient. The results of multiplication are added together to generate a final detail signal. Thus, the edge enhancement circuit amplifies the amplitude of the edge component having a frequency approximate to the spatial frequency of the video signal to provide an edge enhancement based on a frequency characteristic corresponding to the spatial frequency of the video signal.

Abstract: A method for adjusting an image signal by a processor includes providing a first low pass filter and a second low pass filter, generating an energy ratio of a band-pass image signal and the image signal according to the standard deviation of a first low pass signal of the first low pass filter and a second low pass signal of the second low pass filter, providing an image adjustment parameter and generating a weighting coefficient of the image signal according to the energy ratio and the image adjustment parameter, generating a third low pass filter according to the weighting coefficient of the image signal, the image adjustment parameter, the first low pass signal of the first low pass filter and the second low pass signal of the second low pass filter, and adjusting the image signal according to the image signal and the third low pass filter.

Abstract: A video processing system is presented that interleaves video data. In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, data from a first field is placed in a frame and is augmented with pixel values in adjacent alternate rows of the frame with pixel values determined from the pixel values in the first field data and pixel values from the second field data.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for adjusting an image are provided, which enable to adjust an image quality easily so as to attain a desired image for a user when the image quality of the image displayed on a television and so on is to be adjusted. An adjustment image suited to an image quality to be adjusted is stored in a memory in advance, and upon the adjustment, a plurality of adjustment display images having different image quality parameter values from each other are formed with regard to the adjustment image and displayed on a monitor, and one image having a desired image quality is selected from a plurality of the adjustment display images in an operating section, so that an image quality parameter value to be adjusted in an image quality adjusting section is determined.

Abstract: A picture control method and an image processing apparatus thereof are provided. The method includes setting a picture control mode; setting a picture control value in response to the picture control mode; and sensing a change of the picture control value; restoring the picture control value to a previous value if the change of the picture control value is maintained in excess of a certain amount of time. The image processing apparatus includes a picture controller which sets a mode and a value in response to the mode; a memory which stores an initial value of the value; and a controller which senses a change of the value and controls the picture controller to maintain the change of the value for a certain amount of time, and if the change of the value is maintained in excess of the certain amount of time, retrieves the initial value of the value, and controls the picture controller to change the picture control value to a previously unchanged value.

Abstract: An input video signal is processed for edge enhancement. Video signal levels are detected at an N number of pixels located adjacent to one another in a specific scanning direction (N being an even number of four or larger). A difference between the levels is obtained and an absolute difference is produced that is an absolute value of the difference at each pair of adjacent two pixels among the N number of pixels, thus an (N?1) number of absolute differences being obtained. A particular one absolute difference among the absolute differences is applied nonlinear arithmetic processing in which it is subtracted from a predetermined initial value to obtain a subtracted value, and an absolute value of the subtracted value is obtained, the absolute value being set to a predetermined value if equal to or lower than the predetermined value. The particular one absolute difference is obtained from a pixel pair of two adjacent pixels located in the middle of the N number of pixels aligned in the scanning direction.

Abstract: The aim of the present invention is to provide a VDT stress mitigating device and method capable of mitigating VDT stress caused by a regular spatial pattern and VDT stress caused by flicker generated by an interlaced format, a VDT stress risk quantifying device and method, and a recording medium. An A/D conversion section 10 imports interlaced format video signals P1 from an external image signal output device and converts them in field units by A/D conversion into image data D1. A filter section 20, while not distinguishing between the first field and the second field, and while maintaining the temporal order of these fields, performs a temporal filtering process on the image data of each field. A D/A conversion section 30 converts the image data D2 that has undergone the temporal filtering process by the filter section 20 into image signals P2 based on an interlaced format by D/A conversion. The image signals P2 are then sequentially outputs according to the temporal order of the fields.